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Young People's Festival of Ideas - The suppressed majority? What does it mean to be a modern man?

Wednesday 11 March 2015, 18:00 to 19:30

A new series of events looking at critical issues affecting young people today.

This event will explore the topic of masculinity. What is masculinity? What does it mean to be a modern man? Should gender define us? Is modern masculinity a problem? And where does masculinity fit within the feminism movement? Speakers include author Nikesh Shukla, academic Natalie Jester, artist and curator Flo Yapp and spoon word poet and comedian Dan Squire. The event is chaired by Shawn Sobers.

BIOGRAPHIES OF SPEAKERS

Shawn Sobers

Shawn Sobers is a filmmaker, photographer, and writer, and is Senior Lecturer of Photography and Media at the University of the West of England.

Nikesh Shukla

Nikesh Shukla is a writer of fiction and television. His debut novel, Coconut Unlimited, was shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award 2010. In 2011, Nikesh co-wrote a non-fiction essay about the riots with Kieran Yates called Generation Vexed: What the Riots Don't Tell Us About Our Nation's Youth. In 2013, his novella The Time Machine won Best Novella at the Sabotage Awards. His latest novel is Meatspace. In 2014, he wrote an award-winning short film with Sarmad Masud called Two Dosas. His Channel 4 Comedy Lab Kabadasses aired on E4 and Channel 4 in 2011. The film won the Film London 'London Calling Plus' Award for best film. Nikesh also hosts The Subaltern podcast.

Natalie Jester

Natalie Jester is a PhD researcher at the University of Bristol, focusing on security, gender and media, and is especially interested in the point at which these things meet. In her spare time she largely continues her obsession with gender issues.

Flo Yapp is an artist and curator who recently completed an artist residency culminating in the group exhibition 'Pretty in Pink: what makes a woman?', exploring female identity through the work of 16 female artists. She mainly works in textiles, creating work with a strong emphasis on craft and process.

Dan Squire is a final-year English Literature student at Exeter University. He has been masquerading as a stand-up comedian for several years without anyone noticing his utter mediocrity yet. Dan is also a spoken-word poet and an aspiring author, although he has never had a full-time job, leaving him with ludicrously grim career prospects. He spends most of his time cooking vegetarian food and complaining about his life.